Would-be engineer fired for fraudulent wage claims

Time to punch out. Mark Hammett — a locomotive engineer trainee with the Canadian Pacific Railway Company — was rightly terminated for submitting fraudulent wage claims, an arbitrator ruled.

Hammett was hired in 2007 and worked as a conductor in Fort Steele, B.C., prior to being accepted into the locomotive engineering training program. He was fired on July 30, 2012, for submitting fraudulent wage claims during the period between March 3, 2012, and April 15, 2012.

After booking off sick on April 8, 2012, Hammett was observed at the Fort Steele Heritage Park Easter event. He was assessed 15 demerit points for falsely booking off and an investigation was launched into Hammett’s absenteeism and work history.